10 Segments Sky Sports Cut From WWE Programming Airing In The UK

2. Muhammad Hassan

The Muhammad Hassan character is one of the more controversial gimmicks wrestling’s ever presented, being accused of inciting anti-Muslim sentiment among fans.

When he debuted, he was a character you could argue most American audiences weren’t ready and mature enough for at that moment in time. They couldn’t understand the nuance that Hassan wasn’t a ‘terrorist’ but an Arab-American that was getting persecuted by racists because of the colour of his skin and his name. With audiences not grasping this, WWE was quick to turn him into a caricature of what he was originally designed to be. This being no more evident than on the 4 July SmackDown in 2005 in his infamous segment with The Undertaker.

Hasan entered the ring wearing his keffiyeh and was surrounded by a squad of terrorist-like masked men in combat clothes who were referred to as his "sympathisers" on commentary. Words like "martyr", "sacrifice" and "infidel" were commonly used over footage set to music that sounded like the Muslim call to prayer. The masked henchmen later attacked The Undertaker in the ring and strangled him with piano wire, allowing Hassan to apply the camel clutch, before carrying Daivari off as a martyr-like figure.

Though recorded on a Tuesday, the episode aired the following Friday in America - just hours after the London bombings transpired. The segment was savaged by critics, saying that WWE had sunk to an all-time low for not pulling it from air. Sky in no way allowed it to air in the UK. In an unprecedented move, UPN (who broadcast SmackDown in America) and Sky actually approached WWE to ensure the Muhammad Hassan character would be completely withdrawn from television immediately, which WWE did by writing Muhammad out of storylines permanently by having 'Taker savagely beat him at the next pay per view, The Great American Bash